Folding Campaign Chair

A teak Campaign Chair that is also adjustable.

The chair is adjusted by moving the steel support rod that fits between the two front legs which have shaped cut-outs. These decorative cut-outs are faced in brass and have 6 'hook rungs' to locate the bar. The back legs extend to the front of the seat where they are united by the rail which rests on the steel rod. As the rod is moved to different positions, the front seat rail is lowered or raised adjusting the angle of the back legs and so the incline. As can be seen the six positions range from fairly upright to almost horizontal.

The chair can be further adjusted by the removable slung seat which is fixed to hooks under the front seat rail and brass hooks to the back's shaped cresting rail. This rail has two positions that the seat's top brass hooks can be fitted to.

To fold the chair, the slung seat is unhooked, and the steel rod is removed. The rod is fitted with screw on turned wooden roundels to either end. With the rod removed, the back legs and seat rail will fold against the chair frame. The arm and front leg sections will then fold in towards each other on hinges.

This form of campaign chair was made by a number of makers in both India and England either side of 1900. It has long been associated with the Scottish designer Herbert McNair, as he owned one, but the design was not his. It is very comfortable, with the replaced leather slung seat naturally fitting to the body shape and the recline adjustable to a variety of positions. Circa 1900.

Dimensions in the mid position to the first image are given.